Internet telephony services are known that permit an Internet user with a personal computer equipped with a sound card, speaker, microphone and modem to initiate a call from the computer and transmit the call over the Internet to a telephone connected to the public switched telephone network (xe2x80x9cPSTNxe2x80x9d) or to another similarly equipped personal computer. For example, Net2phone, Inc., Dialpad, Inc., and MediaRing, Inc. provide software and services that permit an Internet user to place a call from their computer, and communicate with the called party using the sound card, speaker and microphone of the caller""s computer.
Internal computer cards, such as the Internet PhoneJACK(trademark), available from Quicknet Technologies, Inc., San Francisco, Calif., permit a user of the foregoing services to connect a standard analog telephone to the personal computer, for use in placing and receiving Internet telephone calls. A telephone coupled to such an internal computer card, however, cannot be switched to place a telephone call using the PSTN unless it is physically unplugged from the internal computer card and then reconnected to the telephone network.
Net2phone, Inc., also provides a service called xe2x80x9cNet2phone Directxe2x80x9d that permits users to use a standard analog telephone to place a call over the Net2phones Internet Telephony network. In this system, the user dials a local number to access Net2phone, Inc.""s gateway, which then prompts the user for an account number and the telephone number of the party to be called. The system digitizes the user""s voice and transmits the call over the Internet to another gateway located near the called party. That gateway switches the call to the local PSTN network to complete the call. Although the user does not need an Internet account to place a call using this system, the user must have an account with Net2phone, Inc., and is limited to using the telephone with that service. Further, the user may not switch between an Internet call and a PSTN call without terminating the Internet call.
Net2phone, Inc., also has announced an agreement to develop a specialized telephone that can be used to select between PSTN-based long distance telephone service and Internet-based long distance service by pressing a button on the telephone. The user must register the telephone and must select a flat fee arrangement for the Internet-based long distance service. The proposed telephone must be purchased, and may not be usable with other Internet-based telephony services. In addition, it is unclear whether a user can switch between a PSTN-based call and an Internet call without terminating the other call. For example, if a user were engaged in an Internet-based telephone call and received an incoming call from the PSTN network, it is unclear whether the user could receive a call-waiting notification, and if so, whether the user could accept the incoming call without first terminating the Internet-based call.
It would therefore be desirable to provide apparatus and methods that permit a user to seamlessly and dynamically switch between Internet-based telephony service and PSTN-based telephony service.
It further would be desirable to provide apparatus and methods that enable a standard analog telephone circuit to be selectively connected to either the PSTN network or an Internet-based telephony service.
It also would be desirable to provide apparatus and methods that detect the presence of PSTN network service and provide either the PSTN network dial tone or a synthesized dial tone when handset is taken off-hook.
It still further would be desirable to provide apparatus and methods, useable in conjunction with call-waiting capable modems, that enable a user to receive a call-waiting signal and switch between Internet-based telephony service and PSTN-based telephony service.
It also would be desirable to provide apparatus and methods that enable a user to receive a ring signal and switch between Internet-based telephony service and PSTN-based telephony service.
It yet further would be desirable to provide apparatus and methods that enable a user to seamlessly switch between Internet-based and PSTN-based telephony service using a device that incorporates a microprocessor and modem, and optionally, an analog telephone circuit.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of this invention to provide apparatus and methods that permit a user to seamlessly and dynamically switch between Internet-based telephony service and PSTN-based telephony service.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide apparatus and methods that enable a standard analog telephone circuit to be selectively connected to either the PSTN network or an Internet-based telephony service.
It is a further object of this invention to provide apparatus and methods that detect the presence of PSTN network service and provide either the PSTN network dial tone or a synthesized dial tone when handset is taken off-hook.
It is another object of this invention to provide apparatus and methods, useable in conjunction with call-waiting capable modems, that enable a user to receive a call-waiting signal and switch between Internet-based telephony service and PSTN-based telephony service.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide apparatus and methods that enable a user to receive a ring signal and switch between Internet-based telephony service and PSTN-based telephony service.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide apparatus and methods that enable a user to seamlessly switch between Internet-based and PSTN-based telephony service using a device that incorporates a microprocessor and modem, and optionally, an analog telephone circuit.
These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by providing a hardware or software switch adapted to selectively couple a standard analog telephone circuit to either a suitably equipped personal computer (or other computing machine capable of accessing the Internet, such as Internet appliances) or the PSTN network. By activating a feature of the device, e.g., using a predetermined sequence of DTMF digits or by pressing a button, the switch permits the analog telephone circuit to be used with either an Internet-based telephony service or PSTN-based telephone service.
In a first embodiment, the switch comprises an external computer peripheral module that may be coupled to standard analog telephone circuit (e.g., a standard analog telephone) and to the computing device using a parallel or serial port, or connection to a Universal Serial Bus (USB). Alternatively, the computer peripheral module may take the form of an internal computer card that is connected a standard analog telephone circuit and to the system bus of the computing device using, for example, a PCI or ISA expansion card slot. In this embodiment, the module preferably includes at least a DTMF interface circuit, a subscriber line interface circuit and a switch movable between a first position, wherein the analog telephone circuit is coupled to the PSTN network, and a second position, where the analog telephone circuit is coupled to the computing device.
In a second embodiment, a specialized telephone is provided that combines the switch of the first embodiment with key components of the computing device, such as the modem and microprocessor, and the analog telephone circuit. In this embodiment, the specialized telephone includes a button that may be used by the caller to toggle between Internet-based and PSTN-based telephony services, without dropping the other call.
In yet a third embodiment, an alternative specialized module is provided, suitable for connection to a standard analog telephone, that incorporates the switch of the first embodiment and the basic components of a computing device needed to establish and maintain an Internet connection, such as a microprocessor, associated hardware, and modem.
In accordance with the methods of the present invention, the apparatus is programmed with software routines to control operation of the switch. The software preferably includes user-selectable settings including, for example, the default mode of operation (either PSTN network or Internet service), the telephone number for dialing into the Internet based service and appropriate log-in/password information. The software also includes routines for switching between modes of telephony service, as well the capability to handle call-waiting and second-line operation of the telephone.